There’s something new on Swatch And Learn!

Normally, I don’t post press releases about store events, but this one is for such a good cause that I felt compelled to help spread the word.

Until September 27, Trade Secrets is having a Give & Take Appliance Trade-in Event Benefitting Local Women’s Shelters!

If you drop off your gently-used hair appliance to Trade Secrets, you’ll be rewarded with 50% off (up to $150 off) select haircare models.

But the discount isn’t even the best part.

Trade Secrets will donate those gently-used hair appliances to shelters across Canada that support women and their children who are escaping violence! (They’ve been holding this event since 2007, and they’ve donated over 30,000 gently-used hair appliances!)

I am always heartbroken when I hear of domestic violence against women. Their struggles and touching stories inspire me, but they also make me tear up because some of the things we take for granted (like happiness and living a comfortable life) are a dream for some.

Some women literally have to leave everything behind in order to escape abuse, and not all of them have social support or financial stability.

It’s a testament to their inner strength that they’re able to push on and fight to survive on a day-to-day basis.

Please continue reading the rest of this post for the official press release sent to me by Trade Secrets about this noble event they’re running.

Below is the official press release sent to me by Trade Secrets:

TRADE SECRETS ANNOUNCES 7^TH ANNUAL “GIVE & TAKE” APPLIANCE TRADE-IN EVENT BENEFITTING LOCAL WOMEN’S SHELTERS

Since 2007, more than 30,000 gently used hair appliances have been collected and donated to organizations including Richmond Hill-based Yellow Brick House and Toronto-based Rosalie Hall

(WOODBRIDGE, Canada; August 12, 2013) Trade Secrets is excited to announce the Canadian beauty retailer will be hosting its seventh annual “Give & Take” hair appliance trade-in event benefitting local women’s shelters from August 10 to September 27, 2013.

The campaign calls on people to bring their gently used hairstyling appliances to any Trade Secrets location to be tested by store staff and donated to shelters across Canada, which offer support and shelter for women and their children escaping violence.

“We’re committed to improving the self-esteem and confidence across the country to look and feel good about themselves,” said Paul D’Elia, general manager at Trade Secrets and a team captain for the company at The Weekend To End Women’s Cancers. “This year, we need more people than ever to donate as many appliances as possible so we can give them to women that will use them on an everyday basis.”

Richmond Hill-based Yellow Brick House and Toronto-based Rosalie Hall are two of the many organizations that have received some of the more than 30,000 hair appliances collected from this campaign over the past seven years.

“The ‘Give & Take’ program has been a rewarding experience for our young women and is highly anticipated every year,” said Larissa Bholaramsingh, manager of development at young parent resource centre Rosalie Hall. “It’s gestures like these that help rebuild self-worth and dignity in the lives of women who are struggling with turmoil and poverty.”

Women are 11 times more likely than men to be a victim of sexual offences and three times more likely to be the victim of criminal harassment, according to a recent Statistics Canada report based on police-reported data. In 2011, more than 173,600 women were victims of a violent crime, a rate of 1,207 female victims for every 100,000 women.

To contribute to the cause, people can collect any unwanted but still functional curling irons, blow dryers, flat irons or other hairstyling appliances. Trade Secrets will readily receive these appliances during the campaign period and donate them to local women’s shelters. As a thank you, donors can take 50% off the purchase of a new flat iron or blow dryer from salon-professional brands like Avanti, Rowenta Beauty and GS Professional.

“The program was founded on the principles of collecting and giving to people in need, but also to give a promotion to our clients,” Mr. D’Elia added. “But the promotional aspect has become quite secondary to helping women in need.”

ABOUT TRADE SECRETS

Trade Secrets -Glamour Secrets is beauty retailer and salon located in 65 shopping centres and power centres across Ontario and Quebec and New Brunswick, Alberta and Miami, Fla. The company sells salon-professional beauty products including hair, nail and skin care, hairstyling appliances, hair extensions, cosmetics, waxing products and accessories from all over the world. In addition to the “Give & Take” campaign, Trade Secrets, a division of GS Beauty Group, contributes to a breast cancer fund through multiple fundraising initiatives including The Weekend to End Women’s Cancers benefitting The Campbell Family Institute at The Princess Margaret Hospital.

Will you be participating in the Trade Secrets Give & Take Event? Or have you done so in the past?